Son of village police officer arrested in Geneseo football drug case

The district announced the decision to forfeit the rest of season. The Blue Devils had a 1-3 record, which included forfeiting Friday's 26-24 win over Bolivar-Richburg after violations were uncovered. Meghan Finnerty reports from Geneseo.
Meghan Finnerty

A 16-year-old Geneseo student and son of a village police officer will be arraigned Tuesday on misdemeanor charges that he provided narcotics to his teammates on the Blue Devils football team.

The teen, whose name was not released, was arrested Friday on three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

He allegedly brought what is thought to be oxycotin to the high school on Sept. 22, before the Bolivar-Richburg game, and shared the pills with six classmates. Three of the youths were under the age of 17, according to Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian.

"We felt it was the appropriate charge for the behavior that happened, in all fairness," Osganian said. "We didn’t find any (previous) problems .... This was the first offense we found. We are trying to be reasonable."

Police conducted a joint investigation with the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, given the conflict of interest with the teen's father. Both agencies concurred on the charging decision, Osganian said.

The boy turned 16 in May, and is being charged as an adult but is eligible for youthful offender status. He still could face felony charges, if prosecutors opt to pursue a more serious offense.

He reportedly took the pills from a parent without their knowledge. Days later, the district announced that a number of players had been dismissed, and that the varsity football squad would forfeit the remainder of its season.

"All the statements point to the 16-year-old. That was clear, for the most part, since Day One," the chief said.

The Blue Devils also forfeited the Bolivar-Richburg game, which they had won to improve to 2-2 on the season. In a statement, the district cited serious violations of the code of conduct and athletic eligibility standards. Superintendent Tim Hayes did not immediately return a message Friday night.

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"It is tough for us," Osganian said, as the teen's father works for the department part-time. But it's also "a serious matter."

"It's an opioid. And we are having problems with opioids here," he said, noting officers have used Narcan seven times in the past several years to try and save people who overdosed. Not all were successful.